Class 1A Wrestling: Dakota eyes multiple medals at State

CHAMPAIGN - With 10 qualifiers in the 14 weight divisions, the Dakota Indians head into this week's Class 1A state wrestling tournament in Champaign as one of the most represented schools in Illinois.

And with the talent scattered throughout those 10, they expect to come away with plenty of medals.

Senior Josh Alber leads the way, as he is four wins away from becoming the first ever four-time state champ with a perfect record in Illinois' wrestling history. (Sterling Newman's Mike Mena was 157-0-1 in his prep career that ended in 1992.)

But Dakota also has two other top-ranked wrestlers - J.J. Wolfe (138) and Carver James (152) - as well as a two ranked second - Daniel Zimmerman (220) and Dillon Swift (106) - and two ranked third - Greg Krulas (145) and Prentice Walls (120). They are joined by Alex Henze (113), Andrew Wenger (126) and Jared Packer (160).

Lena-Winslow/Stockton's defending state champs Quincy Kalkbrenner (160) and Ty Harmston (220) will be joined by Quincy's brother Kyle Kalkbrenner (132) and Gunner Wenger (138), looking for spots on the medal podium.

"This is it and it's a pretty important finish for all of us," Quincy Kalkbrenner said. "It's tough not to feel a little pressure, but most of us like that anyway."

Lutheran blew away its school record of two state qualifiers in the same season with five this year. Seniors Caleb Micho (126), Connor Waugh (145) and Austin Barnhart (195) as well as junior Zac Schrank (106) all qualified after taking third at the Byron Sectional, and junior Austin Grant (113) moved on after finishing fourth. Micho and Schrank headed into the postseason ranked fifth in the state.

"We showed a lot of poise in a lot of matches last week," Lutheran coach Mike Muther said. "Last Saturday was one for the ages."

Stillman Valley's Andy Abitua (132), who has been ranked all season, will join Durand's Gacob Lenox (152) as well as Polo's Ethan Cain (160) downstate.

The top-three ranked wrestlers at 220 pounds come from the Rock River Valley: Zimmerman (No. 2 at 33-4) Harmston (No. 3 at 34-1) and Byron's Ross Sealby (No. 1 at 37-2). Top-ranked Quincy Kalkbrenner (37-2) and eighth-ranked Cain (35-5) have their work cut out for them at 160 as well, with a bracket stacked with the likes of No. 2-ranked Wes Brown (43-1) of Plano.